Motion-picture register gauge



March 23, 1954 J. G. cAPsTAFF MOTION-PICTURE REGISTER GAUGE Filed NOV. 24, 1951 2 Sheets-Shea?l l 5 6 4. 6 4 u.. .n..unyw f. ,s1 8 Mw s 77777 ...o1- unan 4 7 4 7 7 2 Y Z zu; O O Z O O n O 4. 6 5/ Z 4J 1). n Z I. 4 6 (mal Off n zu 1 .I rnllll Mm., m 5 0 w ma mi r, f l .Mw Z f 5 5 JOHN G. OAPSTAFF A TTORNE'YS March 23, 1954 1. G. CAPSTAFF 2,672,786

MOTION-PICTURE REGISTER GAUGE Filed NOV. 24, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

-JOHN G. CAPS TATPA l? Ar28 26 ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 23, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT DFFICE Eastman Kodak Company,

Rochester, N. Y., a

corporation of New Jersey Application November 24, 1951, Serial No. 258,070

3 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to apparatus for checkinnr the relationship between images on separate, perforated motion picture nlm strips and their respective perforations, and, more particularly, to apparatus for checking the accuracy of the registration of separation nages with their sprocket perforations on different lms.

In the production of motion picture nlm in color, it is customary to make two or more series of color separation images from which are obtained, by printing, master positives and dupe negatives with which release prints are made. The original color separation lilms and the release prints, as well as the intermediate prints, may be made in any Well-known manner, but, however made, there is usually present the problem of securing in the release print the accurate registry of the several images required for satisn factory color reproduction.

The most practical Way to obtain the desired registry is to have the complemental images on the several master lms, from which the release prints are to be made, bear exactly the same relation to their respective sprocket perforations.

This can be accomplished by the use of the register gage of the present invention to determine the necessary corrections which must be introduced in printing the master films to compensate ior the various errors which are bound to exist due to differences in shrinkage and the like of different films exposed and processed at diferent times and under diierent circumstances.

In accordance with the invention, corresponding frames of color separation images on separate nlms are positioned on accurately formed register pins which hold the perforations in predetermined positions where the accompanying frames are projected in superposed relation by suitable optical systems, preferably a branched system with the frames held in different branches. One of the branches is provided with a plane parallel plate tiltable in two orthogonal planes for shifting in two directions in its own plane the projected image of the frame in that branch, the amount and direction of the tilts required to pron duce exact registry of the two projected images being a measure of the diierence between the register of the two frames with their respective perforations. The other branch of the optical system may be provided with an optical element movable to vary the magnication for bringing to the same size the two superposed images. In each case, the adjustment required is a measure of the adjustment needed in printing.

The invention will be readily understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

l. is a diagrammatic View in perspective of 5 the optical portion of a gage constructed according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top View partly in section of a complete gage;

Fig. s a sectional view along the line 3 3 in 1U 2; and

l i is a sectional View along the line 4-4 in The optics of the gage according to the preferr-ed embodiment of the invention are shown in Fig. l as comprising two optical paths or branches iii and Il which are merged into a single path i 2 by a beam splitter i3. A projection o .estive it is positioned in the path i2 to have image plane on a suitable screen i5 and object Vunies lli and ll located, respectively, in the branch paths it? and H so that objects, such as motion picture frames, positioned at i6 and i1 will he imaged in superposition on the screen i5. Suitable light sources i8 and l :furnish illumination for the object planes it and l?, respectively. For shifting one of the superposed images in the plane ci the screen i5 for the purpose of bringing the two images into register, a parallel plate, or optical fiat, 2s is placed between the object plane i6 and the beam splitter i3 and so mounted that it can be tilted in each of two planes normal to each other and parallel to the optic axis I8, as indicated by the double arrows. As is well understood, tilting the plate 26 shifts the virtual image o o3? the object plane I6 as viewed by the objective is and this, oi' course, results in a corresponding shirt of the projected image on the screen i5.

In order to check difference in size between two frames in the object planes i6 and l'l, the other optical branch il is provided with a zeropower compound prism formed with two wedges 2li and 22 whose combined optical thiclmess is equal to the optical thickness of the plate 2t when the wedges 2l and 22 are centered, as shown in Wig. l.. If one wedge, such as the wedge 22, is moved in either direction, as indicated by arrows, the effective optical thickness of the compound prism is varied which results in a change in the size of the image of object plane i1 on the screen i5, as is well lnown.

An apparatus incorporating the optical system of Fig. l (except for the lamps lil and I9 and the screen l5) is shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 as comprising a structure having a base 23 and a base plate 24 to facilitate securing the gage to a table or bench. The base 23 has a platform 24 upon which the beam splitter I3 sets and an upright wall 25 (see Fig. 4) which may be integral with the base 23. The wall 25 is provided with a threaded aperture in which the projection objective I4 is mounted, the beam splitter I3 being oriented so that its exit surface faces the apertured wall 25 and, hence, faces the objective I4. The beam splitter I3 may be held in position on the base 23 by a cap member 25 suitably secured to the wall 25 as by screws 21. The cap member 26 preferably has a cork or similar underlayer 28 for engaging the top surface of the beam splitter I3.

The tiltable plate 20 is, for structural convenience, made circular and mounted in a thick, apertured plate 29 by suitable retaining rings 39 and 3l. The thick plate 29 is pivotally suspended on the ball-shaped end 32 of a stud 33 carried by a plate 34 secured to the base 23 by screws 35. The ball end 32 is countersunk in the plate 29 and held therein by the concave end of a rod 35 which may extend freely through an aperture in a yoke member 31 with suiiicient clearance to permit the small amount of tilting required for the plate 25 to function. A spring 38 under compression may be provided between the plate 29 and the yoke 31 to prevent play or backlash in the pivot.

The yoke 31 is an L-shaped member rigidly secured to the base 23 by screws 39 and extending along the margin of adjacent edges of the plate 29. Near the two ends of the yoke 31 are secured internally threaded tubes l 49 and 4I through which extend in threaded engagement adjusting screws 42 and 43, respectively, having ball ends pivotally anchored by leaf springs 44 in suitable recesses formed in the plate 29. The free ends of the adjusting screws 42 and 43 are provided with suitable knobs 45 and 46, respectively, having scale markings which cooperate with stationary pointers 41 and 48, respectively, to indicate their positions. It will be apparent that if the knob 45, and hence the screw 42, is rotated, the plate 29 will be tilted about an axis extending through the centers of the pivot ball 32 and the ball end of the screw 43. Similarly, rotation of the screw 43, by turning the knob 45, will tilt the plate 29 about an axis extending through the centers of the pivot ball 32 and the ball end of the screw 42.

The stationary plate 34 has a glass projection window 49 alined with the tiltable plate 20 and carries register pins 59 for engaging perforations in a motion picture nlm strip I. For holding the lm 5I plane a hinged cover plate 52 may be provided. It will be understood that the lm 5I will be positioned with its emulsion side against the window 49 and that this position corresponds to the object plane i9 of Fig. 1. On the lower edge of the base 23, as viewed in Fig. 2, is .mounted another plate 53, similar to plate 34, having a glass projection window 54, register pins 55 for engaging perforations in a motion picture lm strip 55 and a hinged cover plate 51. The film strip 59 is located so as to occupy the position corresponding to the object plane I1 indicated in Fig. 1.

A frame member 55 secured to the rear face of the projection window plate 53 by a screw 59 holds the stationary wedge 2l in -alinement with the window 54 and the beam splitter I3. The other wedge 22 is mounted in a suitable frame 99 having a bent-over ear 5I by which it is secured to the end of a threaded rod B2 by means of a machine screw 63. A spring washer 54 is placed between the head of the screw 63 and the ear l6I to permit rotation of the rod 52. The top and bottom portions of the frame engage in sliding relation the milled inner faces of the member 53 to prevent rotation of the frame 60. The rod 62 is threaded through a boss 65 in a direction parallel to the inner faces of the Wedges 2| and 22 and perpendicular to the wedging angle of the wedge 22. The boss 65 may be formed integral with the frame member 58 to assure the proper relationship between the rod 52 and the wedge 22. The rod 62 is provided with a knob 55 which may be rotated to move the wedge 22 back and forth as necessary to match the magnifications of the projected images as described in connection with Fig. 1. A pointer 51 cooperates with suitable scale markings on the knob 59 to indcate the position of the Wedge 22 and the adjustment needed in the printer. A spring 58 under compression between the boss 65 and the knob 6B serves to hold the same thread faces in engagement to prevent lengthwise play.

If the color separation films are obtained by stripping exposed multilayer film, such as described in my Patent Number 2,533,424, it is generally desirable to consider as normal the emulsion layer which remains on the original base, e. g., the one representative of the color red. The red separation film strip may be placed on the register pins 55 with a certain frame at the projection window 49 and the lm strip of another color aspect, say green, placed on the register pins 55 with the corresponding frame at the projection window 54. The knobs 45, 4B and G9 are then adjusted until the superposed images on the screen I5 are exactly in register and of the same size. By using projection light beams complementary in color, the operator can make the required adjustments quicker and with greater accuracy. The adjustments found necessary are noted from the end positions of the several knobs 45, 43 and 65 for use in adjusting the printer when printing the green film strip. Without disturbing the red strip at the window 49, the green strip is removed and the blue strip placed on the register pins 55 with its corresponding frame at the projection window 54. The several knobs 45, 49 and 65 are again adjusted to produce exact registration of the superposed images, the adjustments required being noted for use in printing the blue iilm strip.

While for the purpose of illustrating the invention, a specific embodiment thereof has been described in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto, but is of the scope of the ap-pended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. Apparatus for determining the relationship between images on separate perforated motion picture film strips and their respective perforations comprising two projection windows each of which is provided with accurately formed register pins for holding in predetermined positions the perforations ofy film strips at the projection Windows, optical means for projecting images of film strips in the two windows in superposition on a viewing screen, and between one of the windows and said optical means an optical nat universally pivotally mounted at one point and independently tiltable in orthogonal planes perpendicular to the plane of the optical flat.

2. Apparatus for determining the relationshipv between color separation images of the same View on separate perforated motion picture film stripsJ and their respective perforations comprising an optical system having two branches defining a branched optical path, means in each branch of the optical system for holding a film strip with its perforations in identical positional relationship with respect to the optical path, means in the optical system for imaging in superposition the color separation images on lm strips held in the two branches of the optical system, an optical at tiltable in one of said branches for shifting one of the superposed images in the image plane and means for indicating the magnitude and direction of the tilt of the optical flat required to produce exact registry of the superposed images.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 2 in which in the other of said branches of the optical system is positioned a zero-power compound prism one component of which is movable to vary the thickness of the glass path and hence the magnication of the image on the ilm strip held in said other of said branches, and means for indicating the magnitude and direction of movement of said one component required to bring the two superposed images to exactly the same size.

JOHN G. CAPSTAFF.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,580,115 Brewster i- Apr. 13, 1926 2,155,075 Adam Apr. 18, 1939 2,382,580 Rackett Aug. 14, 1945 

